Support and shield for flatirons



March 23 1926.

' T. A. C. COOK SUPPORT AND SHIELUFOR ELATIRONS Filed March 6 1925 1N VENTOR TAL?. Coo/ wmf@ ipaten'ted 23 i926.

THOMAS ALFRED CHARLES COOK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. Y

SUPPORT-AND SHIELD FOR FLATIRONS.

Application filed March 6, 1925. Serial No. 13,627.

[o all iff/1.0m t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS ALFRED CHARLES Coon, a citizen of the United. States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county ot Cook and State of Illinois, `have invented a new and usetul Improvement in Supports and Shields i'or Flatirons, ot' which the following is a full, clear, and enact description.v 4

My invention relates to improvements in combined support andshield for latirons, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein dcscribed and claimed.

An object ot my invention is to provide a device ot the character' described in which means is provided tor supporting a fiatiron in an inverted position withvthe work engaging surtace in a horizontal plane so that the iron may be employed for steaming, as by placing a dampened pad upon the work engag-ing surface and drawing fabric to be steamed thereover. At the present time special devices mustbe employed for steaming fabrics, since the ordinary ilatiion cannot be placed in an inverted position without falling over.

A further object ot my invention is to provide a device ot the character described for entirely encasing the flatiroii when not in use and for supporting the iron with its work engaging` surface slightly above the lower wall oit the case so that the case may be placed upon a supporting surface, such as a shelf or the like, without any danger ot' lire through conduction of heat from the iron, or without danger of damage to vard nislied surfaces or the like upon which the case is placed.

A further objecto't my invention is to provide a device ot the character described vliich is adapted tor use with any type oit iiatiron, whether it be electric, gas or a' sadiron. i

A further object of provide a device of the character described which is'simple in construction,l durable and which is thoroughly practical for thepurf pose intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following speciiication, and the novel Jfeatures ot' the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accom# panyinggdrawings forming part of this apf plication, which my invention is to` Figure l is a front elevation ot an einbodiment ot my` invention with the iron in operative position, Figure 2 is a'sectioual view along` the line 2-2 ot Figurel with the iron in an inoperative positiom and Figure is a perspective view ot a modilied :torni o't my invention.

In carrying out my invention I make use ot' arbody member A having a horizontal base portion 2 supported upon tour rubber legs 3. The cross sectional contour of the body member A is clearly shown in Figure l. ct the drawing and has tapering side walls which terminate in inwardly extending top walls 5 parallel with. the bottom` wall 2. The top walls 5 areinclined toward the center oit the body member A as shown at Gv and terminate in substantially vertical parallel gripping members?. The distance between the gripping members 7 is less than the diameter ot the handle portion 8 of the atiron, such as shown at 9.

Thus the tlatiron 9 may be suspended with-A f in the body member A in the position shown in Figure 2 withrthe handle 8 resting partially between the inclined portions 6 of the body, and partially above the topwall 5 with the work engaging surface l() ot the iron above and entirely out of engagement with the bottom wall 2 ofi the body member. `The iiatiron is disposed in this posit-ion when not intended 'for use.

Means for entirely enclosing the flatiron when in the position shown in Figurel consists in a rear wall ll which vextends up wardly fromV the bottom 2 to the point ot merger between the inclined surface 6 and the parallel portions 7 ot' the body member. The wall 11 is secured to the edges ot the parallel portions' 7 by the projection ot lugs l2 extending from the edges through the wall l1 and clinchedY over in a manner well l known in the sheet metal art, so as to securely hold the wall 1l in the position shown in liigureV 2.l y'lhe contour ot the rear wall conforms precisely to the contour ot the body 'member asshown inFigure 1, i. e., its edges contorni with the inclination of the side walls 4.

A movable plate 13 is hingedlyanountecl at 14 to the upper edge of the'v rear wall 11 and extends slightly above ther-top walls 5 of the body member. A movable cover plate 15 is hmgedly mounted atffl to the plate 13 and4 extends entirely actress the top of the body member to the front edge there of Where it is hingedly connected at 17' to a movable front cover plate 18. Y Y

This front plate 18 has an opening 19 therethrough adjacent to the lower edge through which a spring Acatch 2O secured at 21 to the bottom Wall 2 of the device permitted to project and thus engage with the plate 18 so as to vhold the plate yieldingly in place.

IVhen the iron is in use, as for steaming,

Vand inverted (asshown in Figure 1) With position shown the Work engaging surface 10 in engagement with the top walls 5, the cover' plates 18, 15 and 18 are hinged back and lie at the rear of the device. rIhese plates cannot be seen from the position shown in Figure 1, since the contour of the with' the contour of the adjacent parts of the body member when closed. The side Walls 4: have parallel portions d@ which are corrugated to further reenforce the body member.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device the operation thereof may be readily understood. The use of a flatiron, Whether it be electric, gas or of the sadiron type, for steaming goods is Well known, and it has been found to be quite efficient for household use. Up to the present time, however, no mechanism has been provided for permitting the use of the iron for steaming With convenience. My improved support and shield for fiatirons provides a device, when the plates 13, .I5 and 18 are hinged back 'out'of engagement With the casing which is an ample and substantially rigid support for the fiatiron, ivitli its ivorl engaging surface in the .in Figure 1 and in theaproper position for* steaming fabrics.' This steaming operation is performed usually by placing a Wet pad directly upon the iron and movingfabrics thereover.` Thussuch fabrics as velvet and the like may be neatly pressed. f

Vfhen the tlatiron is not in use', either for plates conforms preciselyl steaming or for pressing, it is disposed in the position shown in Figure 2, the handle portion 8 being above the parallel members 7 and thus held with its Work engaging sur` face 10 entirely free of any part of the casing, particularly the bottom 2. The cover plates 1,8, and 18 are then moved to the position shown in Figure 2 and the plate 18 engaged with the latch member 2O by projection of that member through the opening' 19. bearing the iron vmay then be placed upon a varnished shelf or near combustible materials without any danger thereto, and with the iron fully protected from abuse.

In Figure 8 I have shown a modified form of my invention which is intended to be constructed at small cost. In this device no cover plates nor rear plate are employed; and the body member A is constructed entirely of substantially rigid Wire rods. This modified form bears Yreference numerals corresponding to the corresponding parts in the preferred form. The only difference in construction between thebody member proper in the preferred form and modified form is thatl the modified form is entirely constructed of rigid Wire and has no back ivall or cover plates, but has connecting links for preventing undue separation of the portions of the device corresponding with the parallel Walls' 7 in the preferred form. Also there are no legs 8 provided in the modified form. The operation of the modified form as to support of the flatiron in upright and inverted position is precisely the saine as that of the preferred form. The Wire rods comprising the structure of the modified form of my invention are Welded together to secure the greatest possible rigidity. y

I claim:

The combinationtivith a flatiron having a handle member, of a combined supporting member and shield comprising a casing and provided ivit-h a longitudinal slotted portion at the top Wall thereof for yieldingly receiving the portion of the handle member between the handle and the body of the iron, whereby the flatiron may be supported in an upright or inverted position at Will, said casing being of sufficient height to maintain the bottom of the iron entirely out of engagement with. the adjacent portions of the supporting member and shield when the iron is in an upright position. THOMAS ALFRED CHARLES' COOK.

rIhe entire casing and support 

